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In its final projection before the 2016 election, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that real GDP would grow at a 2.1 percent annual rate in the first 11 quarters of a new Administration.
Also asked, what happened to the economy in 2016?
The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 1.6% in 2016, the Commerce Department reported Friday. In the last three months of the year -- between October and December -- the economy grew at an annual rate of 1.9%. It's the slowest pace of growth since 2011.
Secondly, is the US economy growing or declining?
The U.S. not only has the largest internal market for goods, but also dominates the trade in services. U.S. total trade amounted to $4.2 trillion in 2018.
Economy of the United States.
|GDP growth||2.9% (2018) 2.3% (2019) −5.9% (2020e) 4.7% (2021e)|
|GDP per capita||$65,112 (2019 est.)|
|GDP per capita rank||7th (nominal; 2019) 10th (PPP; 2019)|
Is manufacturing in a recession?
U.S. manufacturing was in a mild recession for all of 2019, according to data released Friday by the Federal Reserve. In contrast with steady growth in the larger economy, U.S. factory production shrank by 1.3 percent in the past year, the Federal Reserve reported.
What did Trump do for the economy?
A key part of President Trump's economic strategy during his first three years (2017–2019) was to boost economic growth via tax cuts and additional spending, both of which significantly increased federal budget deficits.


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Get the scoop on the latest Track5 news and trends
Google has once again updated its algorithms. Penguin 3.0 has officially waddled into the internet marketing world to chagrin of SEOs and webmasters everywhere… What’s new with Penguin 3.0? Ever since the first version of Penguin rolled out in 2012, Google has been on a continuous mission to eliminate spam in their search results. As,
Google has named Lancaster the 2014 eCity for Penn
Born and raised creative geniuses.

domain: news


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Shares of Netflix, Apple and other giant technology companies that have powered a market rally have taken an uncharacteristic pause.
NYS Entity Status
NYS Filing Date
FEBRUARY 27, 2014
NYS DOS ID#
NYS Entity Type
DOMESTIC BUSINESS CORPORATION
2014 - AO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
AROUND THE WEB
- A Slump in Tech Stocks That Leaves Some Investors Mystified
By LANDON THOMAS Jr. - Monday Jun 12, 2017
- Crunch Report | Uber CEO Takes Leave of Absence
By Khaled "Tito" Hamze - Wednesday Jun 14, 2017
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is taking a leave of absence, Verizon closes on its $4.5 billion acquisition of Yahoo and Marissa Mayer is leaving the company, Tim Cook discusses more of Apple’s car plans and Amazon launches Prime Reload. All this on Crunch Report. Read More
- Time Warner Signs $100 Million Deal With Snap for Shows and Ads
Monday Jun 19, 2017
In a wide-ranging deal with Snap Inc., Time Warner Inc.’s Turner cable channels and the Warner Bros. studio will create up to 10 original shows a year for the ephemeral messaging app in genres including scripted drama and comedy.
- Food & Wine Magazine Will Leave New York for Alabama
By STEPHANIE STROM - Friday Jun 23, 2017
The move reflects a changing business in which traditional food magazines, and a Manhattan address, are less important.
- An Equity podcast shot: Unpacking the Amazon-Whole Foods deal
By Alex Wilhelm - Saturday Jun 17, 2017
We’ve got an Equity Shot for you, an irregular extra hit from the Equity podcast crew. Today the big news is the potential Amazon-Whole Foods deal, which has led to rampant media speculation, depressed grocery stocks around the nation and allegations of intelligent corporate strategy. It’s the sort of day that forces you to sit back and re-cast your views of the technology world.… Read More
- Eero’s New Wi-Fi Routers Are Step One In Its Plan To Become A Smart-Home Giant
By Jared Newman - Tuesday Jun 13, 2017
To stand out from bigger mesh-networking rivals, Eero is unveiling new hardware, a subscription service, and a bet on a new internet-of-things technology.
Eero now has more to sell you than just a better wireless router.
- Tech Fix: What You Need to Know About the New Uber
By BRIAN X. CHEN - Wednesday Jun 21, 2017
The company has been dogged by scandal for months. One response: changes to its all-important app.
- Charter promised more broadband but didn’t deliver, now must pay fine
By Jon Brodkin - Thursday Jun 22, 2017
21,000 NY customers did not get broadband on schedule, despite merger promise.


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New Adidas store in Toronto leads the way in experiential retail in Canada
Experiential retail is becoming ubiquitous in the United States, especially for sports brands. Over the past year, Champs Sports, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Wilson’s have created experiential stores. But Canada, as a much smaller market, tends to be left behind when it comes to new and trending retail.
Adidas aims to fill that void with its new 13,000 square foot location at the Toronto Eaton Centre. Beyond the vast selection of Adidas lifestyle and sports products, it includes a lounge, a community activation space, a Toronto boutique featuring unique products inspired by the city, and multiple digital touchpoints for customers to learn more about the brand and its connection to Toronto.
Canadians want to interact with and experience brands, not just transact with them.
According to Ayden’s Retail Report 2022 according to KPMG, 67% of Canadians prefer to shop in a physical store, compared to the global average of 59%. The report also highlighted that these consumers believe stores should be exciting to visit and offer more than just goods and services. Adidas’ new store aims to meet this demand. “We hope to see more stores like this begin to open across Canada,” said Alim Dhanji, President of Adidas Canada, adding, “For Adidas, an experiential retail model offers consumers the opportunity to freely explore our wide range of products. in a way that is not only available online or in-store.
In addition to its in-store features, the store will host various events with musical performances and guest appearances and hold pop-up events throughout the year. “To celebrate the opening of our store, we’ll be hosting a series of in-store training classes led by beloved Toronto instructors, a shoe customization pop-up and a World Cup activation ahead of the upcoming tournament this month,” shared Lesley Hawkins, Vice President of Retail at Adidas Canada. The company will communicate more details about these events in the coming weeks.
Demand appears to exceed supply at experiential retail in Canada.
Toronto, in particular, is a unique market. Although the Greater Toronto Area is home to nearly seven million people, there are only a few critical retail areas, most of which are home to traditional retail store experiences. And all the experiential concepts that exist are mainly produced by Canadian brands. For example, in 2019, Canada Goose launched an inventory-free experiment at Sherway Gardens that included various cold rooms with fake snow to test the product in the applicable climate. Lululemon also has an interactive store on Queen Street West which consists of a cafe, coworking space and various fitness classes.
Beyond there is Stackt Market, which, like London’s Boxpark, is built from 120 shipping containers on 100,000 square feet of land and is a mix of shopping, food and community events. It has quickly become a hotspot for Torontonians looking for a new weekend hangout or a new shopping venture. The success of Stackt and the few branded experiential concepts indicate that the Adidas store will likely do well in the market.
That said, unlike other experiential concepts, Adidas focused on the design and programming of the store with city features. “Toronto is a multicultural center filled with dynamism in many areas – arts, sports, fashion, design. Adidas has been a proud part of the city for many years, making connections within its communities and working with local designers, artists and athletes to collaborate on projects. We wanted the new space to be even more personalized to the city and our pride in being here,” said Hawkins.
Although the brand has not specified where it will open its next stores, it plans to expand its physical footprint over the next four years. Canada has become a target market for many brands since the pandemic, with Reformation, all the birdsand Hello Yoga all locations opened in the Toronto area within the past year. But the opportunity for experiential retail remains vast. So, maybe Adidas’ new store will spark a wave of exciting and engaging retail concepts in the Canadian market.


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The personal details of 400 students have been sent in an email in a large data breach at the University of Essex. It was reported that the email was sent from a facilities management delivery partner requesting payment for repairs to a broken door on an accommodation block at the university.
But it was alleged that the message also contained a spreadsheet full of personal information on residents - including student IDs, dates of birth and contact details. It is understood that the data related to 412 students in total.
The university, which has three campuses including in Colchester, Southend and Loughton, said they are taking the issue "very seriously". They added that they have ensured their delivery partners understand the university's expectations about data management.
READ MORE: Chelmsford's Sandon School confirms data breach after student details sent to parents
The students who have been affected have been contacted by the university. The students have also been offered advice and support, the University of Essex says.
A spokesperson at the University of Essex said: "We are taking this issue very seriously and ensuring our delivery partners understand our high expectations about the management of data. We’ve contacted all individuals involved to offer advice and support.”
Get all of the latest Essex news direct to your inbox by signing up to our free newsletter here.


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Manager BG is a card game about football that combines luck and the real skills of Real Betis and Sevilla F.C. players, to bring the passion for football to gatherings between friends and families. It is the creation of Pablo Bella, a young man from Utrera (Seville), who has four games already on the market under his own publishing company DizemoGames. Manager BG is now on sale in both clubs’ official shops.
The Reina Mercedes Bookshop is a true haven for architects and building engineers in Seville. It is located opposite the University and was opened in 1967. José Antonio Barrera and Carlos Pedraza, along with many others, have been regular customers there since their student days. In 2016, with the retirement of its former owner, it was on the brink of closing down permanently, and probably being converted into a sandwich shop just like the many others in the area. However, Carlos and José Antonio decided to invest their savings in order to prevent this happening. Now, the RM Bookshop, the only bookshop in Andalusia that specialises in Architecture and Design, is turning 50 with renewed funding and an online store.
Entrepreneurs from Malaga have created the first mobile app in the world to handle veterinary emergencies. It’s called UVI24 and is a 24 hour emergency network for pets all through Spain. With a simple call, they geolocate the emergency and suggest the nearest care service.
Silopierdes is a system that, using little devices, puts the people who find lost objects in contact with their owners. It’s the creation of Rubén Corrales, a computer expert from El Bosque, a little town in Sierra de Cádiz. The idea came to him after a real experience: “I lost my car keys. Somebody probably found them and wanted to give them back to their owner, but as they had no way of identifying or contacting me, they couldn’t”. After this, he decided to develop silopierdes.com, a project that has been supported by ‘Minerva’, a programme run by Vodafone and the Council of Andalusia that boosts technological ventures.


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I now understand why General Motors (aka Government Motors) has done so poorly over the last three decades: they just don’t seem to get the big picture when it comes to winning the battle of public opinion.
Earlier this week, GM announced plans to retrofit the GMC Yukon Denali line into a full sized hybrid SUV.
As if GM hasn’t made enough bad decisions already, they decide to make one of their luxury vehicles even more expensive hoping a shiny “Hybrid” decal on the tailgate and single digit gas savings would make it more appealing to the masses.
In reality, it seems more like putting a silk hat on a pig. You can dress it up all you want, but it’s still a porker.
For those new to the concept of the greenwashing, it is generally defined as:
Greenwashing is environmental whitewashing. Companies make claims about a product with respect to its environmental benefits or impacts that are either false or misleading. — TerraChoice
In other words, it’s an attempt to make their product appear to be eco-friendly. Behind the scenes in marketing boardrooms, decisions (deceptions?) are made in the hopes that you won’t recognize the hidden trade-offs, falling for the “lesser of the two evils” argument, or not being smart enough to catch them in an outright lie.
[click through to see greenwashing video]
Of course, a lack of truthful advertising shouldn’t come as too much of a shock considering we’ve developed into a culture that expects to hear a bogus sales pitch at every turn.
As GM struggles to maintain its head above water, it’s not surprising they are trying every marketing gimmick they can think of.
Take a look at the all out marketing campaign:
So if all these hard sell marketing campaigns haven’t been working, why not make an attempt to appeal to the remaining subgroups that won’t buy your cars?
Slap on a shiny hybrid sticker and advertise the heck out of it until everyone knows you’re an eco-friendly car company. Perhaps if you say it enough — say twice an hour during primetime TV — maybe someone will eventually begin to believe it.
Personally, I think I’ll just wait for a Hybrid Hummer since the Chevy Volt is being delayed.


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The retro activation is centred around the new Clio and its nineties counterpart. It is aimed at those who aren’t necessarily familiar with the famous “Va-Va-Voom” era, bringing the experience and car to them.
Visitors are invited inside both vehicles, whilst also being treated to a range of retro food and drink. There is also a nail bar, video games, Twister, and Polaroid cameras.
Colette Casey, senior brand communications manager at Renault UK, said: “It’s really important to understand that millennials don’t necessarily want to, or have to time, get to the dealer’s showroom. For us, it was ‘how do we get the car into environments that will be more accessible to them?’
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to get in front of our core demographic who can really engage and immerse what Clio is about. I think the reality of it is when you showcase a car in TV and print, it doesn’t give you the opportunity to highlight the key benefits of the vehicle.”
The experience will be in Birmingham and Manchester later in the year. The campaign has been created by Eulogy, Fusion, OMD and Publicis London.


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First OnePlus Nord CE 5G update adds display and camera improvements0
This first OnePlus Nord CE 5G update is tagged as OxygenOS 18.104.22.168 (via @nirmaltv) and includes a few improvements to camera and display, as well as fixes and a new security patch. Below is the full list of changes that appear in the update's changelog:
- Improved the accuracy of screen color
- Fixed known issues and improved stability
- Updated Android security patch to 2021.05
- Improved the portrait photography of the front
Although OnePlus Nord CE 5G won't hit shelves until June 21, the OnePlus community has been given the opportunity to get early access to the smartphone through Core Sales on the company's official webstore, starting from June 10. If you're one of the early owners of a OnePlus Nord CE 5G smartphone, then you should try and download the new update.


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Both consumers and small businesses alike are expected to see the rise in monthly premiums.
New York health insurance companies are currently filing for rate hikes to be applied in 2023 on their small group plans and for individual consumers.
Insurers are seeking to hike rates as much as 46 percent on plans covering companies with under 100 employees.
New York health insurance companies have also asked for increases as high as 35 percent for customers who aren’t a part of groups with plans, but who will be buying their own individual coverage.
There are more than 1.1 million residents of the state who are enrolled in individual plans or small group plans. The requested rate increases won’t be impacting larger employers. It’s common for those companies to self-fund their coverage, meaning that they will pay the medical claims of their employees themselves.
It’s important to note that the increases aren’t set in stone. They are currently in the filing phase, where insurers propose the increases that they would like to roll out. Individuals and small businesses have until the end of August to express their concerns over the requested increases.
The average proposed New York health insurance rate increase for individual plans is 18.7 percent.
The average proposed rate increase for small group plans is 16.5 percent. The largest insurer in Central New York has filed its request to raise its rates by between 6.3 percent and 18.1 percent on small group plans. It is also aiming to raise its individual plan rates from 8.3 percent to 20.1 percent.
While those are notably lower figures than the highest filings, they still both represent hikes well into the double digits at a time when everything is getting more expensive for individuals and businesses alike. The largest proposed increase in the rates for coverage have arrived at a time in which consumers are paying more than ever before for everything from food to gasoline and everything in between.
That said, according to health insurance companies, those same pressures are also impacting insurers, requiring them to boost their rates to cover the rising cost of medical treatments, medications and other healthcare products and services.


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Apple's reputation for offering greater security than rival operating systems such as Windows will come under the spotlight in January.
Two individuals, independent security researcher Kevin Finisterre, and a hacker called LMH, say they plan to publish a previously unknown Apple vulnerability every day throughout January. The pair will be scouring Apple OS X and applications that run on top of it.
Finisterre has found a number of bugs in Apple's software in recent years. In early 2006 he wrote a proof-of-concept worm that spread between OS X machines via a Bluetooth vulnerability.
The "Month of Apple Bugs" was first reported on a Washington Post blog. In the posting, LMH claims that the initiative could help improve OS X security — which already has an impressive track record on security.
"Right now, many OS X users still think their system is bulletproof, and some people are interested on making it look that way," LMH said.
Supporters of Apple will typically react strongly to claims that the platform is becoming less secure, as some security vendors and researchers have claimed. Take-up of Macs is growing, partly due to the success of Apple's iPod, and the recent move to Intel chips could help the company grow its market share further. This, some claim, will inevitably make it a more tempting target for hackers — if they can find vulnerabilities to exploit.
Finisterre and LMH's plans have already sparked debate, both on the original Washington Post blog posting and around the internet. On the Washington Post site, Apple-user Ben commented that "there very well could be vulnerabilities in Mac OS X, but they are not real, they don't affect anyone... especially not in the way that millions of PC users' machines are crippled by exploits and spyware and essentially rendered useless because of a weak operating system."
Thor argued that while Apple users should take security seriously, the Mac platform offered greater security. "No reasonable user of any computer system, including Mac users, believes their system is bulletproof. Every system has flaws, and everyone needs to be cautious," wrote Thor. "It's just that, relatively speaking, there is very little in the way of real malware 'in the wild' that affects the Mac OS. This is due to a combination of the small market share of the Mac and its security architecture, as it is harder for malware to be installed without generating a prompt for administrative password."
Apple itself said that: ""Apple takes security very seriously and has a great track record of addressing potential vulnerabilities before they can affect users. We always welcome feedback on how to improve security on the Mac."
CNET News.com's Tom Krazit contributed to this report.


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* Watson becomes No. 5 generic drugmaker in Australia
* Strides to cut debt by $250 mln in 2012
* Strides shares rally 18 pct to highest in over 2 years
By Kaustubh Kulkarni and Sakthi Prasad
BANGALORE/MUMBAI, Jan 24 (Reuters) - U.S.-based Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc said it bought the Australian and South East Asian generic drugs business of India's Strides Arcolab for A$375 million ($396 million), boosting Strides' shares by more than 18 percent.
Watson said on Tuesday it acquired 94 percent of Ascent Pharmahealth Ltd from Strides and the rest from the Australian company's chief executive, Dennis Bastas.
Watson said the deal made it the fifth largest generic pharmaceutical company in Australia in terms of revenue, as well as the largest generic drugmaker in Singapore.
The U.S. company said it had also gained an established commercial base in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Thailand.
Watson said it expected the transaction, funded by cash-on-hand and borrowings, to immediately add to 2012 non-GAAP earnings.
For Bangalore-based Strides, the sale of will help it cut debt by $250 million and lower its debt-to-equity ratio to 0.6-0.7 from about 1.6, Group Chief Executive Aun Kumar said.
"Post the sale, we will continue to focus on injectables and specialty businesses," Kumar told CNBC-TV18.
Strides raised its stake in Ascent Pharmahealth to 94 percent last April, and had valued the company at A$100 million.
"The sale of Ascent is a forward-looking initiative for Strides," Kumar said in a statement. "We have been clear about our intention to focus on our highly attractive sterile segment, which we expect to be our growth engine going forward."
The sold business constitutes about 30 percent of Strides Arcolab's revenue guidance for financial year ended December.
"It's a superb deal for Strides and will help the company improve its margins," said Siddhant Khandekar, an analyst at ICICI Direct.
The valuation is 2.6 times of the unit's sales and 17 times the EBITDA levels, he said.
Shares of Strides Arcolab, which hit their highest level in more than two years after the announcement of the deal, were up 12.6 percent at 458.85 rupees at 0828 GMT.
U.S. investment bank Jefferies advised Strides on the sale.


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(Reuters) - Cyber security firm FireEye Inc FEYE.O on Thursday reported its first-ever quarterly adjusted profit since going public in 2013, highlighting gains from the company's shift to a subscription model and its cost-cutting efforts.
FireEye’s shares were up 13.2 percent in extended trading.
The company reported a profit of 1 cent per share for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with analysts’ average estimate of a net loss of 1 cent.
Subscription and services business rose 8.5 percent to $164 million in the quarter as the company transitions to a software-as-a-service model (SaaS) from its traditional business that centered around the sale of hardware boxes.
“We delivered year-over-year and sequential growth in every major product group and geographic region, and we closed a record number of transactions greater than $1 million,” Chief Executive Officer Kevin Mandia said in a statement.
The company reported adjusted billings of $242.2 million, topping analysts’ estimate of $221 million, according to research firm FactSet.
Billings include revenue recognized plus the change in deferred revenue - an important indicator of the health and visibility of a company’s business.
Susquehanna analyst Anne Meisner said the deferred revenue mix indicates perhaps some continued contraction in contract lengths as the company’s revenue mix shifts more toward SaaS and other subscription-based products.
The company, which has probed some of the biggest cyber attacks to date including the Equifax breach, has also kept a tight leash on costs.
“At the end of (2016), we really realigned our cost structure. By doing so, we were able to take out $94 million of full-year operating expenses,” Chief Financial Officer Frank Verdecanna told Reuters.
The Milpitas, California-based company said it expected to report between breakeven and earnings of 4 cents per share for the full-year, compared with analysts’ estimate of a net loss of 2 cents.
FireEye also said it expected revenue in the range of $815 million to $825 million, above estimates of $799.3 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
FireEye said net loss attributable to shareholders widened to $77 million, or 42 cents per share, in the fourth quarter from $61.5 million, or 37 cents per share, a year earlier.
The quarter included payment of $12.5 million in net legal settlement costs, the company said.
Total revenue rose 9.5 percent to $202.3 million, beating analysts’ estimate of $193.6 million.
Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Skoda has released a teaser image of its Vision E electric SUV concept following rumours that it is set to announce its first electric vehicle at the Shanghai Motor Show next month.
The Czech carmaker says the Vision E will boast a battery range of around 310 miles and meets the requirements for level 3 autonomy, meaning it can initiate an array of safety features without driver intervention.
According to AutoExpress, the Vision E can "operate independently in jams, go into autopilot on the motorway, park on its own and search for car park spaces".
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It sits on the same platform as Volkswagen's ID concept, says Autocar, and is expected to spawn four all-electric Skoda models by 2025.
While the company has yet to confirm the storage capacity of the battery, the "production version will use a newly developed lithium ion battery pack, packaged into the floorpan", the magazine says.
Car reports the battery is connected to two electric motors, which produce a combined power output of 301bhp and launches the SUV to a top speed of 112mph.
Earlier this week, Autocar posted a leaked image from Skoda suggesting three new models could appear at next month's Shanghai Motor Show: a "Kodiaq Coupe" and two vehicles codenamed "Model K" and "Model Q".
While Skoda has confirmed it will bring the Vision E concept to the show, which runs from 21 to 28 April, it has yet to reveal any details about the cars in the leaked image.
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text: Kendrick Lamar took home the award for Lyricist of the Year at this year’s BET hip-hop awards. As always, the category posed some stiff competition. He beat out J-Cole, Nas, Jay-Z and Kanye West, who all had stellar years themselves. Congrats to Kendrick for reppin the West Coast!!! The award show will air October 9th on BET. Also for those wondering about Kendrick’s shirt, the shirt was provided by designer Rhuigi Villasenor from the new brand RHUDE. The bandana shirt is available in black at 424 on Fairfax in city of Los Angeles. Keep your eyes peeled for Blue and Red which will be releasing later this year.


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The Girl Scouts of Nassau County (GSNC), which officially kicked off its 100th year of Girl Scouts selling cookies in January, will be celebrating National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend, from Friday, February 24 to Sunday, February 26, 2017. During the three day event, Girl Scouts will host booth sales throughout Nassau County and use digital and social media skills to spread the word about where to buy Girl Scout Cookies®. Over the past century, Troops have learned five valuable skills needed in both life and business: goal setting, decision making, money management, business ethics, and people skills.
Designed by Girl Scouts of the USA, National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend serves to encourage members throughout the country to take part in the largest entrepreneurial program Girl Scouting offers and for Nassau County Residents to support Girl Scouts by purchasing cookies.
“Girl Scout Cookie Weekend is the Girl Scouts’ big push to remind their communities that Girl Scout Cookies® are for sale but for a limited time,” said Donna Ceravolo, Executive Director/CEO of the Girl Scouts of Nassau County. This is a crucial time for our girls to get out and, not only encourage neighbors, friends and family to purchase cookies to support their sales goals but gain the valuable hands-on entrepreneurial skills they will carry with them for years to come.”
Community members may also purchase cookies from Girl Scouts in Nassau County to be donated to our military heroes. Over the past 13 years, Girl Scouts of Nassau County have shipped almost 700,000 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies® to its servicemen and women in Iraq, Afghanistan, and throughout the world, thanks to their delivery partner, DHL Express. Cookies have also been delivered to the local Marine Base in Garden City, the Coast Guard station at Jones Beach, and other New York military institutions.
To find the nearest Girl Scout Cookie® booth sale, visit www.gsnc.org and use the Cookie Booth Locator tool or download the Cookie Finder app for your iOS® or Android® phone or tablet and enter your zip code in the “Find Cookies!” tool. Additionally, a Girl Scout you know can invite you to buy your cookies online with the Digital Cookie 2.0 which includes a more robust, hands-on learning experience, including an enhanced Cookie website, as well as new mobile sales technology to complement the national platform website.
All of the net proceeds from the Girl Scout Cookie Program stay in Nassau County to be used for Girl Scouts through direct support to each Troop, as well as funding for training volunteers, programs for girls such as healthy living and STEM, as well as financial assistance to girls to cover their Girl Scout participation.
We’re the Girl Scouts of Nassau County: We’re 27, 000 strong – 27, 000 girls and adults who believe every girl from Nassau County can change the world. It began over 100 years ago with one woman, Juliette Gordon “Daisy” Low, who believed in the power of every girl. Today, we continue her vision of building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place by helping them discover their inner strength, passion and talents. And with programs in Nassau County, across Long Island and throughout the United States, there’s a chance for every girl to do something amazing.
We’re the Girl Scouts. To volunteer, reconnect, donate or join, visit www.gsnc.org or contact Donna Rivera-Downey at 516 741-2550.


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FORD FACTORY LAYOFFS COMING
Drop in sales across all models forces staff cuts
VALENCIA'S industrial beacon, the Ford vehicle manufacturing plant in Almus- safes will also be targeted by staff cutbacks, company officials have announced this week.
Company spokespeople admitted that the Valencia plant is working better than others, but that there will have to be some layoffs all the same following a drop in sales across all models.
Conversations are currently taking place between company managers and union leaders to clarify exactly how much the spending needs to be cut. However, with the company failing to meet previous agreements reached between both sides after issuing overly optimistic predictions, the end result may be more of a tweak here and there than massive layoffs. The fact that the Valencia plant produces the hybrid model is one of its saving graces, but notable drops specially in the sales of diesel cars are still having a negative impact


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The world's longest, toughest test driveMon, 02, Jan 2017
Toyota’s Five Continents Drive is a seven-year, 130,000-mile, worldwide gambit, devised by CEO Akio Toyoda to reboot the world's biggest carmaker. Automotive News had an exclusive front-row seat on the latest trek along some of earth’s most punishing roads.
Akio Toyoda takes the wheel as 'Morizo'Mon, 02, Jan 2017
Getting out and driving, no matter how grassroots, is key to Akio Toyoda's effort to cultivate excitement for cars within Toyota. The ossified bureaucratic giant, critics say, lost its way when employees became mired in their daily desk jobs and drifted away from four-wheeled product.


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ITB China, the largest B2B exclusive travel trade show in China, has become the strategic partner of the 2019 World Culture and Tourism Forum to be held on October 22-25 in Xi’an, China. Under the topic “Integrating Culture and Tourism to Build an Intelligent Future”, more than 1,000 industry experts will explore new marketing ideas for inbound tourism, destinations and attractions, while promoting the East-meets-West culture and thinking in the mission of developing global tourism for a new era. The conference will be hosted by Xi’an Municipal People’s Government and Ctrip Group.
ITB China is organising a senior delegation of international and Chinese travel industry representatives to visit the forum and enjoy four days of exploring new marketing ideas for inbound tourism in China. Hand-picked senior buyers from the established ITB Berlin Buyers Circle will attend the forum this year, representing the international tourism industry. The majority of the buyers are coming from Europe and Asia, covering the MiCE, Corporate and Leisure travel sectors.
David Axiotis, General Manager of ITB China, said, “The partnership between Xi’an and ITB China will further promote the city’s amazing culture and tourist offerings beyond China and thus increase Xian’s ties with international travel professionals”.
“Being one of the ‘Culture Cities of East Asia’ in 2019, Xi’an has accelerated its evolution into an international metropolis with its rich history and diverse culture backed by cultural confidence and consciousness,” noted Xu Mingfei, Deputy Mayor of Xi’an People’s Government, at the Forum of the Culture City of East Asia.
In its 4th year ITB China, taking place from May 13 to 15, 2020 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre, has already established itself as the must-attend event for the Chinese travel industry.


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It’s here! Paynova’s new website launched last week – the result of a new strategy, new financial solutions for e-tailers and a new look for the brand.
Paynova was actually one of our very first clients in Sweden (thanks for the trust, guys!). The company is revolutionizing the payment market with customized solutions that cover everything in ‘pay later’ and ‘pay now’ services. They provide flexible and transparent online payment solutions, tailored specifically to e-tailers’ needs.
Paynova came to us last spring to help name and brand a new solution they were about to launch. The project soon grew from branding of that one product to a strategic deep-dive and repositioning of the whole Paynova brand. The result is a brand platform and messaging strategy which we have extended into not only a refresh of the Paynova brand, but also a whole new product brand called Rendr, and a new website.
The new brands and website position Paynova as a new and modern player on the FinTech scene, able to compete in an aggressive market. The design reflects lightness and a more modern look compared to the original brand, which was darker and more heavy-set. The use of bright colors and playful gradients in combination with more somber greys allows the brand to stand out, yet also convey professionalism and credibility.
As Paynova is gearing up to take on some of its larger competitors, we look forward to continue helping them in their development, starting with an upcoming launch campaign for their new services.


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Randy’s Donuts turns 70 today, and LA’s iconic doughnut maker marks the milestone by offering throwback 70-cent prices on any classic doughnut. The price applies while visiting any Randy’s location from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. today, with a 12-doughnut limit per person. If heading to Inglewood, there’s new anniversary merchandise available for sale in-store and online. In addition, Inglewood’s mayor will also be on-site, with a DJ, photo booth, and free Pink’s Hot Dogs until there are none left.
Randy’s Donuts scooped in another announcement with the anniversary. Randy’s collaborated with Tyra Banks — the Inglewood native has an ice cream line — to introduce a new flavor called you bacon me 70. It’s a blend of Randy’s bacon maple long john doughnut with Banks’ ice cream base flavor, and Randy’s apple fritter truffle at the bottom. The Tyra Banks special will be on hand only in Inglewood but is available for shipping.
Shake Shack and the increasing corporate presence in Silver Lake
For decades, Silver Lake has maintained a noticeable non-corporate presence. But that’s shifted significantly with the arrival of Shake Shack, located next door to the historic Black Cat. As Southern California’s 20th Shake Shack location, diners can try out the new Silver Lake cheeseburger with regenerative-farmed beef, local Kaylin + Kaylin pickles, grilled onions, and the company’s special sauce.
Fat Sal’s is getting bigger
Fat Sal’s Deli & Sandwich Shop plans to open five new locations in 2023. There are already six spots scattered throughout the Southland, next year will see new Fat Sal’s shops in the former Dobowa space in Culver City, Glendale, Studio City, Westfield Topanga, and LAX.
Sawtelle’s got a new sake tasting room on the way
Toddrickallen spotted signage for a storefront in Sawtelle Japantown for Sawtelle Sake. The LA-based sake company is planning to open a tasting room on Sawtelle and a brewing space in Los Angeles County, as Eater reported back in September.


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With 2016 marking the first time that Apple saw iPhone sales trend downwards, many pundits were quick to view this particular data point as proof positive that Apple’s iconic smartphone had finally peaked.
This narrative only picked up steam in the weeks leading up to and the days following Apple’s iPhone 7 introduction. After all, the iPhone 7 didn’t introduce a revolutionary new feature or even a new form factor. And to top it all off, Apple’s next-gen smartphone didn’t feature a 3.5mm headphone jack, a design decision that some believed would turn off a good percentage of prospective buyers.
DON’T MISS: 10 great iOS 10 widgets that should be on every iPhone
Now that we’re a good three months removed from the iPhone 7’s release date, it’s clear that all of the hoopla and controversy surrounding the disappearing headphone jack was largely overblown.
According to recent sales data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, year over year iOS growth in the US checked in at 7%, largely driven by higher than anticipated demand for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Indeed, you might recall that even Apple was somewhat surprised by stronger than expected demand for the iPhone 7 Plus, resulting in widespread shortages during the first few weeks following the device’s release.
Kantar’s press release reads in part:
In the US, iOS grew 7 percentage points year-over-year, from 33.5% of smartphone sales to 40.5% in the three months ending October 2016. This represents the strongest rate of growth for the OS in more than two years, as well as the highest share seen since the three months ending January 2015 (42.8%). And while Android remains the dominant OS in the US, at 57.9% of smartphone sales, this latest data represents the 5th consecutive year-on-year period decline.
Also notable is that the iPhone 7 was the top-selling smartphone in the United States from August through September with a 10.6% share, an impressive feat given that the device was only available for 7 weeks during that 12 week time frame. Incidentally, the iPhone 7 Plus was the fourth most popular device with a 5.3% share.
Inevitably, iPhone sales will reach a peak, but with the iPhone 7 being the surprise hit that it is and the iPhone 8 likely to shatter any number of sales records, that day likely won’t be happening anytime soon.


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Leading MCU provider to deploy a range of ARM Cortex processor and ARM Mali IP in industrial, consumer applications
Cambridge, UK - July 23, 2014 - ARM announced today it has licensed processor and security IP to Atmel Corporation for use in a wide array of devices requiring image, video and display capabilities. Atmel plans to integrate the newly licensed ARM® technology into silicon targeted at wearable devices and automated factory tasks reliant on image processing such as the identification of faulty products. The license includes the ARM Cortex®-A7 processor, ARM Mali™-V500 video accelerator, Mali-DP500 display processor, and ARM TrustZone® technology.
"Atmel and ARM have a successful history of collaboration," said Pete Hutton, executive vice president and president of product groups, ARM. "That partnership continues to build with Atmel now expanding its ARM IP portfolio to include even stronger security and richer media processing technology that prepares the way for new and exciting products in emerging markets such as IoT, wearables and factory automation."
The energy efficiency and small die area advantages of ARM Mali-V500 and Mali-DP500 enables full HD 1080p60 resolution capabilities on a single core, which is ideally suited for cost-conscious applications. Additionally, both the ARM Mali-V500 and Mali-DP500 incorporate support for ARM TrustZone technology for hardware-backed content security from download to display.
"As IoT and wearable devices become smaller, more sophisticated and integrated, the SoCs used in the devices will need to offer more features and functionality in smaller packages," said Reza Kazerounian, senior vice president and general manager, microcontroller business unit at Atmel. "The small area footprint of the ARM Cortex and Mali multimedia solutions will allow us to offer HD video and display processing in unprecedented sizes."
With Mali-DP500, Atmel SoCs will have the capability to deliver UI functionality such as multi-layer composition, scaling and post-processing with support from ARM's Frame Buffer Compression (AFBC) protocol. This technology is unique to ARM and is capable of delivering a 60 percent reduction in system bandwidth for video playback.
ARM is at the heart of the world's most advanced digital products. Our technology enables the creation of new markets and transformation of industries and society. We design scalable, energy-efficient processors and related technologies to deliver the intelligence in applications ranging from sensors to servers, including smartphones, tablets, enterprise infrastructure and the Internet of Things.
Our innovative technology is licensed by ARM Partners who have shipped more than 50 billion Systems on Chip (SoCs) containing our intellectual property since the company began in 1990. Together with our Connected Community, we are breaking down barriers to innovation for developers, designers and engineers, ensuring a fast, reliable route to market for leading electronics companies. Learn more and join the conversation at http://community.arm.com.


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European Union officers have agreed on the language of latest laws geared toward reining in highly effective American tech giants like Meta-owned Fb and Alphabet Inc.’s Google.
Approval is pending for the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which is designed to stop tech corporations from gaining monopolistic holds on on-line content material.
The proposed laws contains restrictions on gathering person knowledge for the aim of putting focused adverts — a key income for Google and Fb.
Massive tech firms may even be prohibited from forcing customers to set their merchandise corresponding to internet browsers because the default possibility.
The large corporations may even be required to verify their services have “interoperability” with their rivals’ choices.
That opens up the likelihood, for instance, of Telegram or Sign customers with the ability to trade messages with WhatsApp customers. WhatsApp is owned by Fb dad or mum firm Meta.
The brand new guidelines, that are anticipated to come back into drive as quickly as this October, will apply to firms with a market capitalization of not less than $83 billion and not less than 45 million month-to-month customers within the European Union.
Firms which can be in violation of the laws might be required to pay huge fines equal to 10% of world revenues. Companies that break the regulation additionally might be pressured to divest a few of their property.
The proposed laws have to be formally adopted by the European Parliament and the 27-member EU earlier than it turns into regulation.
Europe has lately been extra aggressive than america in regulating Huge Tech, although public opinion within the US has shifted to the purpose the place Congress and different regulatory companies have more and more scrutinized Silicon Valley corporations.
“What now we have discovered over these years is that we are able to right in particular instances, we are able to punish unlawful habits,” the EU’s high competitors officer, Margrethe Vestager, advised reporters on Friday.
“However when issues develop into systemic, then we want regulation as effectively as a result of, if there’s a systemic misbehavior, if there are entrenched positions, then we want regulation to come back in.”
“For firms that play the function as gatekeepers, now the Digital Markets Act will set the principles of the sport.”
Apple mentioned it was involved that components of the Digital Markets Act “will create pointless privateness and safety vulnerabilities for our customers whereas others will prohibit us from charging for mental property during which we make investments an ideal deal.”
Google mentioned it is going to examine the textual content and work with regulators to implement it.
“Whereas we help most of the DMA’s ambitions round shopper alternative and interoperability, we stay involved that among the guidelines might scale back innovation and the selection accessible to Europeans,” the corporate mentioned.
Amazon mentioned it’s reviewing what the principles imply for its clients. Fb didn’t reply to a request for remark.
With Submit wires


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Maxim Integrated Products Inc. has introduced a line of metering system on chips (SoCs) targeted at next-generation energy meters.
The ZON family of SoCs gives engineers the ability to speed up development time while meeting global utility standards for electricity meters, Maxim said. The SoC family is comprised of two series of products: The M series of single phase metering chips and the P series of three phase metering chips. Both series have tailored options for the low-end, mid-range and high-end meters. Both series are based on a 32-bit compute engine that is separate from the electricity meter’s application microcontroller. Maxim said this reduces the workload of the system core while letting customers port their application code from device to device to facilitate high IP reuse.
Since electricity meter standard vary from country to country, utility companies have a different set of requirements for each customer in each region. Flexibility then is a key feature for any energy meter being ported to new designs especially when adding in different memory requirements and capacities in design. Maxim said the ZON SoCs allow engineers to use one platform using the same firmware to optimize features and accommodate these different customer needs.
“The world market for electricity meters remains one of rapid change as demand for more accurate metrology and flexible solutions expands from established regions to developing markets,” said Jacob Rodrigues Pereira, senior analyst of smart utility infrastructure at IHS Technology. “With the ZON family’s shared firmware and common core, Maxim has introduced a unique product line so meter manufacturers can focus on country requirements instead of how to implement the design.”
The first products in the ZON family are available now with more products planned to be introduced in the future, Maxim said. Pricing is available on request.


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Improving collections seen in securitised pools, a hope for the NBFC industry;
Declining Covid infection rates after May 2021 and thereby easing of movement restrictions/lockdowns in western The country's northern regions were the best for lenders to increase their collection activities. The average collection efficiency of ICRA-rated, securitised retail pool originated by NBFCs or HFCs has been augmented For June 2021. As long as there isn't a new surge, collections are expected to improve further in the months ahead. In Covid cases. ICRA observes that retail pools securitized after the first wave (i.e. September 2020) have performed better than the pools that were created prior, especially for the unsecured lending sector with more severe financial problems. The same is due to tightening credit appraisal processes and parameters. Lenders to guarantee the addition of higher-quality loans to the portfolio. Investors advocate high bureau scores, non moratorium cases, lowest infected states/districts, etc.
Further, Mr. Abhishek Daffria, Vice-President and Head – Structured Finance Ratings, ICRA says: "With The monthly collection efficiency increased with the gradual lifting of restrictions across many states starting in June 2021. The asset classes surveyed in ICRA-rated securitised pool pools showed a decrease of 7-10% from the previous month. Based on Despite our conversations with originators, July's collections have maintained an upward trend. However, any increase in Covid infections or the onset of a third wave could jeopardize collections recovery. We have so far Localised events such as the opening of Maharashtra are being witnessed, while newer restrictions are being imposed The Kerala Act will impact entities located in these regions, and not the whole industry.
The impact of the second hurricane was significant despite the lack of relief measures such as the moratorium in the previous year. The structured and less stringent regulations did not have a significant impact on overall economic activity and business activity. approach adopted by the state governments while imposing movement restrictions/lockdown. Rural communities are not affected by these restrictions. The second wave affected areas that were semi-urban and urbanized more than the first. This The repayment ability and income-generating capacity of borrowers were affected across all urban areas. Rural and semi-urban areas. The recovery of microfinance borrowers with lower profile loans has led to an increase in collection. The rate of loans has remained low. Unsecured SME loans show a similar trend to lower collection rates. This is due to the fact that there has been a decline in SME loan collections. The economy and business sectors are still far from normal. These borrowers have a lower repayment capacity. (i.e. (i.e., microfinance and unsecure SME loans) were affected by the unexpectedly higher medical costs amid lower Cash flows for businesses. However, collections of Housing loans (HL), saw the fastest recovery in June 2021 They were not as affected as they were during the previous fiscal year. The collections in commercial vehicles (CV) were also affected. The loan portfolio has also shown significant improvement. This is due to the ease of movement restrictions in June. 2021: Higher inter/intrastate movement, backed by an increase in consumer demand in the e-commerce segment and revival of business/mining/factory production activities driving movement of raw materials/final products. The minimal presence of highly damaged passenger vehicles (i.e. ICRA-rated vehicle loan Pools have led to a healthy performance of vehicle loan pools.
Mukund Upadhyay is now Assistant Vice President and Sector Head, Structured Finance Ratings. Delinquencies declined across all asset classes in June 2021, compared to May 2021. This is because the majority of lenders are not allowing them to default. Due to the increase in collections, originators have reported lower bounce rates. We are pleased to report stable collections and lower bounce rate reported by many originators for the July 2021 month. We believe that asset quality will continue to improve in Q2 FY2022, as entities continue to concentrate and strengthen. Their collection efforts are intensified to lessen slippages due to uncertainty regarding third Wave amid moderate pace for vaccination drive We are keeping a steady pace of vaccination drive for ICRA-rated transactions. Stable outlook. We would be watching the credit improvement, delinquencies trends, and collection efficiency and credit enhancement cover closely."


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Learn if you`re breathing properly. Discover how coffee can help you lose weight. Find out how the experts on aging stay young.
That`s some of the healthy fare being served up by Longevity, a slick new monthly magazine that hit the newsstands Thursday.
Published by General Media, which publishes Penthouse and Forum, as well as Omni, Longevity first appeared as a special section in Omni magazine in October, 1986.
According to Kathy Keeton, president of General Media, it dates to 1978, when Omni debuted with a piece called: ''Some of Us May Never Die.''
''Over the years, we would publish updates, and they always brought more mail than any other article,'' she said. ''So we decided to try a newsletter.''
The newsletter was such a hit, it spawned a mini-magazine in October that has grown into a full-size glossy periodical.
The premier May issue, with a $3 cover price, runs 100 pages, which Keeton expects to be expanded soon.
Ad revenue, she said, is double initial projections of 14 pages per issue through December. ''We`re running 22 and 23 pages an issue. Recently, we signed Procter & Gamble, who are advertising their Pepto-Bismol.''
Other advertisers include Lipton`s herbal teas, Tums antacids and Fleischmann`s Light margarine.
Longevity is the only magazine devoted to life extension, said Keeton, and it has been attracting readers who want to live longer and reverse the aging process.
''We`re targeting the Baby Boomers who are 35 to 40 and concerned about losing their hair and running in marathons,'' said Keeton, who turned 50 this year. Keeton said she and husband, Bob Guccione, 57, chief executive of General Media, have always been concerned about staying young.


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Like a storm in the night, the COVID-19 pandemic came quickly and with a force that left the world scrambling to navigate shelter-at-home restrictions, social distancing measures and the widespread impacts to life as we know it and businesses at every level.
When it comes to mid-size businesses, the effects of this virus are universal (social distancing measures, CDC guidelines, revenue loss) and also unique based on your line of business, the county or state you are part of and your ability to address this kind of disruption and quickly adapt to the new normal.
No one can see the future, but there are markers based on how consumer behavior is changing today. The current economic climate continues to be cloudy with a chance of recession and no one is quite sure what the outcome will be. According to McKinsey, consumer intent to spend across all major categories is currently down.
Now, here’s the good news. McKinsey also found that consumers intend to increase their spending across online shopping platforms and adoption of digital and low-touch activities continue to grow as both companies and consumers innovate to find workarounds under coronavirus lockdowns and restrictions. The adoption of digital technology and solutions by companies and consumers during this time has been incredibly accelerated.
As hard as it is to see the future now, there are clear markers of where we are headed after stay-at-home orders lift and companies around the world get back to business. At Fratzke, we believe the rebound will be digital.
As a mid-size business, there are things that you can be doing now to take advantage of these trends to set your business up for success during and after COVID-19. How you approach decision making during this time will affect your company’s ability to thrive after.
There is a model we like to use that is a decades old military strategy called the OODA Loop. It was the brainchild of John Boyd, a United States Air Force Colonel who served as a fighter pilot during WWII. He later became an instructor and strategist for the Pentagon.
The OODA loop is a strategic model for navigating uncertainty in an ever-shifting environment. In a time of war, the goal is to surprise your opponent and win. In the context of our fight against COVID-19, the goal is to transform your business in the midst of the emerging digital landscape and thrive.
Here is what the OODA Loop stands for:
The OODA loop is a model for decision making that will help you break old patterns of thinking and discover new strategies to help your mid-size business thrive during the new post-pandemic digital-first reality. The key is to make informed decisions and to make them quickly.
When used properly, it can give your business a clear competitive advantage.
Nike, a digital giant in the athletic footwear and apparel industry, is a great example of using the OODA loop to repurpose their factories and product materials during this time.
Observe: Nike’s mission statement is to “bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.” When they saw that there was a need for PPE, they identified an opportunity for their Air MI (Air Manufacturing Innovation) division to help.
Orient: After understanding that there was a need that their company could help with, Nike quickly began to orient their experts, engineers, scientists and designers around finding a solution using their existing product materials and factories. They had to discard old ways of thinking to discover new ways to use their materials.
Decide: Nike’s team of experts discovered that their products could be used to create much needed full-face shields and powered, air-purifying respirator (PAPR) lenses that could be provided to local health providers. They decided to use their resources to make them and introduced a nine-step efficient process to do so.
Act: Over the past few months, Nike acted to provided nearly 290,000 pieces of much needed PPE to health systems across the nation. They will also be providing their store employees with the PPE equipment they need after stores reopen in the next few months.
Nike already had a strong digital footprint between their website, e-commerce efforts and Nike-branded apps, which meant they were able to focus their efforts on repurposing their product materials to meet the needs of their communities and consumers directly.
Mid-size businesses that are struggling will need to take this same mindset to pivot their business model. There are a number of businesses who have done so and have been able to launch new ways of connecting to customers online in short periods of time.
For example, one retail chain was able to launch a fully-functioning e-commerce site and the operation to support it in just three months. A rental car company launched a digital campaign that targeted a new customer base in 2-3 days that would normally take three weeks and recovered 90% of its revenue.
It can feel like you are drinking from a firehose right now, and that can feel paralyzing. It’s important to practice the OODA loop and quickly Observe, Orient, Decide and Act.
John Boyd, the inventor of the OODA Loop model was known for winning battles in less than 40-seconds. When many other planes would get stuck in the process of making a decision, John would act. Right now, mid-size businesses should leverage this model to accelerate their digital transformation and meet their customers where they are at online.
Stay safe, healthy and innovative.
Learn about fractional CMOs, their responsibilities, and why your business might benefit from hiring one. With a fractional CMO, you can get expert marketing strategy and leadership without the cost of a full-time CMO.
100 inspiring website designs that can fuel your next web project in 2024. From visually stunning e-commerce sites to user-friendly SaaS platforms, Fratzke Consulting showcases our favorite designs.


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The autonomous electric vehicle economy is poised to deliver lower costs that will reshape our lives.
The first article in this two part series outlined the price leadership that autonomous electric vehicles will win through a mobility as service (MaaS) business model. The average household is projected to save $5,600 annually from using MaaS.
This second article outlines the public policy issues created by such a tidal wave of change.
Mobility future shock
Mobility future shock is posed to slam into all of us. Millions of new jobs will be created. Millions will be lost.
The business of doing business will be radically disrupted. Fortunes will be made by MaaS companies and entrepreneurs. Existing businesses that have been the core of America’s past success will be reduced or shuttered.
Mobility future shock will slam into our politics. Public policy actions on behalf of, or against, the autonomous electric car economy sold through a MaaS business model will determine our country’s economic future.
The speed and depth of supportive public policy adopted by a city or state will determine its ability to:
- Grow jobs
- Attract millennial households
- Win technology competitiveness.
Public policy future shock
Uber proves a small example of the mobility future shock about to hit our economy and policy makers. No one shouted Uber in 2007 when Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone. Ten years later, Uber is the world’s largest taxi company but owns no vehicles. Public policy is still trying to catch up with this radical new mobility service.
In comparison to Uber, MaaS will hit public policy like a tidal wave. It will at first challenge, then wipe out, a hundred years of public policy laws, rules and precedents. Some examples include:
Trucking is an industry defined by intense price competition, high on-time performance expectations, historical driver shortages and substantial regulation. Autonomous driving will challenge all of trucking’s existing parameters. MaaS will generate a political firestorm from teamsters fighting for their jobs and legacy trucking companies fighting for competitive positioning.
For a hundred years transportation has been defined by car loans and auto dealers. MaaS will wipe out this business model. Auto dealers have tremendous local and state political power. In many states like Michigan and New Jersey they have used their political power to block direct to consumer Tesla sales. How much more will they politically fight the MaaS business model?
Sales taxes on gasoline and diesel pay for our roads. Counties thirst for auto dealerships and the sales tax revenues they generate. What will be the MaaS tax policy that replaces lost tax revenues from gasoline and car sales?
What will Americans do with their car garages and driveways when MaaS becomes a realty? What zoning issues will arise from creative homeowners with 600+ sq ft of now vacant space plus a ribbon of concrete in their front yards that is no longer needed?
Electric utility regulation
MaaS will enable Zero Net Energy (ZNE) building economics. ZNE buildings are homes, offices and factories with smart technologies that enable price arbitrage between utility service, self-generation through an onsite solar system and buying/selling with other ZNE buildings. MaaS generated consumer demand for least cost renewable energy maybe the final straw that forces states to end electric utility monopoly control over retail electricity sales by adopting enabling ZNE public policy.
Urban city design
Having a sufficient quantity of accessible and affordable public parking is the bane of urban city planning. There is never enough. MaaS removes this parking barrier between consumers and downtown commerce. It also creates new city design challenges for integrating autonomously driven drones, robots and vehicles with humans.
What happens to shopping malls, already under competitive pressures from Internet retail plus free delivery, when their huge free parking lots are no longer a competitive advantage?
Public transit is a vital service to those less advantaged and for daily commuters. Will MaaS displace today’s public transit with universal service delivering both lower prices and improved customer satisfaction? Or will public transit aggressively adopt MaaS technologies to build their own curb to curb, least cost solutions?
MaaS public policy challenge
By 2030, most of us will look at MaaS like we look at our smart phones today. We will wonder how we lived and worked without it.
The obvious challenge is the turbulent political waters that MaaS will create in terms of jobs lost and businesses shuttered.
That is the burning platform confronting public policy makers. This places MaaS public policy on a dual path.
One path is to open the door for the technologies and new business models that will propel our economy to 3+% economic growth. A second step is to provide human services, including job retraining and job transition financial assistance, to those that do lose their jobs to MaaS.
Cost less, means more is what consumers want and is the underlying driver that is creating a global, multi-trillion dollar Green Economic Revolution. MaaS will deliver these results. But the future shock will be disruptive and transformative. From Congress, to state houses, to utility commissions to city councils, the time to act is now.


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Local Motors signed a 10,000-square-foot lease at Chandler Tech Center, which is located at 7400 W. Detroit St. This new headquarters location will have 80 percent of the building dedicated to office space with the remaining 20 percent reserved for research and development.
Local Motors is developing the Olli, a 3D printed, autonomous, electric shuttle. The vehicle has been deployed at locations around the globe, including hospitals, campuses, bases, and universities.
Chandler has developed a growing cluster of automotive technology companies, with technology giants like Waymo choosing Chandler to test out their latest autonomous vehicle technology. There are multiple other companies in Chandler involved in various stages of the automotive technology supply chain, such as NXP, Garmin, Maxim Integrated, Intel, Rogers, and ARM.
“Chandler has been focused on growing our autonomous vehicle industry and we are excited to see Local Motors sign this new lease in our community,” stated Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke. “We look forward to working alongside Local Motors as they continue to innovate with new products and we wish them many years of success at their new headquarters in Chandler.”
“We are very excited to be moving into our new headquarters in Chandler, said Local Motors President, Vikrant Aggarwal. “Chandler is building an amazing ecosystem of technology companies that will allow us to accelerate our product and technology roadmaps.”
About Local Motors:
Local Motors by LM Industries Group Inc. is a ground mobility company focused on empowering communities through innovative and locally-relevant vehicles. Founded in 2007 with a belief in open collaboration, Local Motors began low volume vehicle manufacturing of open-source designs using multiple microfactories. Since inception, Local Motors has debuted no less than three world firsts; the world's first co-created vehicle, the world's first 3D-printed car and the world's first co-created, autonomous, electric vehicle, Olli. We believe that Olli is the answer to a sustainable, accessible mobility solution for all. For more information, visit Local Motors.
About the City of Chandler:
Chandler, Ariz. has built a reputation as a Community of Innovation. Life in Chandler goes beyond a thriving and dynamic business community with progressive entrepreneurship. Known for its rich diversity, the City offers an outstanding quality of life for all generations with great schools and recreational opportunities. Chandler has grown to become the state's fourth largest City with a population of more than 266,000. Chandler has been named one of the nation's Best Places to Find a Job and Best Cities for Women in Tech. The City also is one of the safest communities in the nation and boasts AAA bond ratings from all three national rating agencies, one of only 40 communities to achieve this distinction. For more information, visit the City website, or connect with the City on social media.
Local Motors, VP of Product
City of Chandler, Public Information Officer


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Internet-surfing workers relax: employees who regularly sneak a peek at Facebook or shop online during office hours could actually be boosting their productivity.
Melbourne University's Dr Brent Coker says workers who surf the internet for leisure, known as "Workplace Internet Leisure Browsing" (WILB), are more productive than those who don't.
A study of 300 employees found 70 per cent of people who used the internet at work engaged in WILB.
``People who do surf the internet for fun at work - within a reasonable limit of less than 20 per cent of their total time in the office - are more productive by about nine per cent than those who don't,'' said Dr Coker, from the university's Department of Management and Marketing.
``Firms spend millions on software to block their employees from watching videos on YouTube, using social networking sites like Facebook or shopping online under the pretence that it costs millions in lost productivity. However that's not always the case.''
Reading online news sites and searching for product information were rated among the most popular WILB activities, while playing online games and watching YouTube movies also ranked high.
And if workers need an excuse for the lapse, they can put it down to a lack of concentration.
``People need to zone out for a bit to get back their concentration. Think back to when you were in class listening to a lecture - after about 20 minutes your concentration probably went right down, yet after a break your concentration was restored,'' Dr Coker said.
``It's the same in the workplace.
``Short and unobtrusive breaks, such as a quick surf of the internet, enables the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher total net concentration for a day's work, and as a result, increased productivity.''
But he warned excessive time spent surfing the internet could have the reverse effect.
``Approximately 14 per cent of internet users in Australia show signs of internet addiction - they don't take breaks at appropriate times, they spend more than a `normal' amount of time online, and can get irritable if they are interrupted while surfing.
``WILB is not as helpful for this group of people - those who behave with internet addiction tendencies will have a lower productivity than those without.''


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Facebook has launched its own personal digital assistant within its Messenger app in a bid to challenge rivals Apple, Google and Microsoft.» Read More
Apple is losing its luster this holiday season because of a more diverse tablet marketplace, a senior tech analyst tells CNBC.
BlackBerry, which announced in September that it would fire 40 percent of its staff, is now showing senior management the door.
Google, the giant of the Internet, thought about moving its servers out of the U.S. after the NSA debacle, said Eric Schmidt, the company's chairman, on Friday.
An ad for the carmaker, which was posted Friday, has gotten more than 1,000 comments—most of them pretty hateful.
A technology boom, while beneficial to San Francisco, is causing resentment among longtime residents, many of whom are being forced out.
Google will offer a prepaid debit card in the U.S. that will allow consumers to purchase goods at stores and to withdraw cash from ATMs.
With bitcoin trading at record levels, it’s becoming an attractive target for cybercriminals, experts say. Here's how to safeguard your accounts.
Apple and Samsung dominate the U.S. smartphone market, but Chinese firms like ZTE and Huawei have a growing presence.
The tech company plans to incorporate "creative" ads in its Xbox content-streaming service that users interact with.
Instagram launched on Microsoft's smartphone OS on Wednesday sans a few key features, but developers say they're still working on it.
Major shareholders like Carl Icahn who opposed Dell's $24.9 billion go-private acquisition were just trying to drive up the stock price, Michael Dell tells CNBC.
Applied Graphene Materials floated in the U.K. on Wednesday, in the latest attempt to commercialize the "wonder" carbon, graphene.
Samsung said its Galaxy Gear has become the world's most popular smartwatch with sales reaching 800,000 since its debut two months ago.
Atomico, a European venture capital firm that has invested in the likes of Rovio, plans to spend its new $476 million fund on tech start-ups.
The company is opening several showrooms—called Winter Wonderlabs—across the U.S. where people can get their hands on Google's Nexus 7 tablets and other products.
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Gadgets are a perennial topper on holiday wish lists. Here's a look at what to buy.
Scott Kessler, S&P Capital IQ gives reason for concern after Twitter jumped 70 percent from its $26 IPO. Kessler says the valuation calling the stock "stretched" is an understatement.
Zulily, a women and children discount clothing website, debuts on the Nasdaq Friday. Its CEO Darrell Cavens discusses his focus on the long-term, its mobile business and why they chose the Nasdaq.
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According to this research (conducted among the world’s largest consumers of dairy foods), those with higher dairy fat intakes, as indicated by fatty acid levels in the blood, had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those with low intakes.
The study’s findings have been published in the journal ‘PLOS Medicine.’ Increased dairy fat consumption was not connected with an increased risk of death.
The researchers combined the findings from this study of slightly more than 4,000 Swedish adults with those from 17 comparable studies conducted in other countries to create the most comprehensive evidence to date on the relationship between this more objective measure of dairy fat consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death.
Dr Matti Marklund of The George Institute for Global Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Uppsala University stated that with global dairy consumption increasing, a greater understanding of the health consequences is necessary.
“Numerous studies have relied on participants recalling and recording the amounts and types of dairy meals they consumed, which is particularly difficult given the widespread usage of dairy in a range of foods,” Dr Marklund explained.
“Rather than that, we examined blood levels of certain fatty acids, or fat ‘building blocks,’ prevalent in dairy foods, which provides a more objective assessment of dairy fat intake that is not dependent on memory or the quality of food databases,” Dr Marklund explained.
“We discovered that those with the greatest levels had the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease. These associations are quite intriguing, but additional research is necessary to fully understand the health effects of dairy fats and dairy diets “Dr Marklund elaborated.
Sweden has one of the highest dairy and dairy product consumption rates in the world.
A multinational collaboration of researchers from Sweden, the United States of America, and Australia assessed dairy fat consumption in 4150 Swedish 60-year-olds by measuring blood levels of a particular fatty acid that is predominantly found in dairy foods and thus can be used to estimate dairy fat intake.
They were subsequently tracked for an average of 16 years to determine how many suffered heart attacks, strokes, and other significant circulatory events, as well as how many died from any reason.
After statistical adjustment for other known CVD risk variables such as age, income, lifestyle, dietary habits, and other conditions, those with high fatty acid levels had the lowest CVD risk (reflecting high intake of dairy fats).
The highest-risk groups did not have an elevated risk of mortality from any cause.
Dr Marklund said that the findings underscore the evidence’s uncertainty in this area, which is reflected in dietary recommendations.
“While some dietary guidelines continue to recommend consumers choose low-fat dairy products, others have shifted away from that recommendation, emphasising the importance of selecting specific dairy foods — for example, yoghurt rather than butter — or avoiding sweetened dairy products that are high in added sugar,” Dr Marklund said.
Combining these findings with those from 17 additional research including nearly 43,000 persons from the United States, Denmark, and the United Kingdom validated these patterns in different populations.
“While our findings may be impacted in part by factors other than dairy fat, our study does not indicate that dairy fat is harmful in and of itself,” Dr Marklund noted.
Dr Kathy Trieu of The George Institute for Global Health, the study’s lead author, stated that consumption of certain dairy items, particularly fermented goods, has previously been related with cardiovascular benefits.
“Increasing research suggests that the health benefits of dairy foods — such as cheese, yoghurt, milk, and butter — may be more dependent on the type than on the fat amount, raising questions about whether avoiding dairy fats in general is good for cardiovascular health,” Dr Trieu added.
“Our study indicates that reducing dairy fat or eliminating dairy entirely may not be the greatest option for heart health,” Dr Trieu noted.
“It is critical to remember that while dairy products may be high in saturated fat, they also include a variety of other nutrients and can be included in a healthy diet. However, some fats, such as those found in seafood, nuts, and non-tropical vegetable oils, may be more beneficial to your health than dairy fats “Dr Trieu came to a conclusion.
Visit www.mixpoint.in for more interesting stories.


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Way back in 2014, I wrote a piece called *‘Stealing less and enjoying it more’. In short, the article cited an 11% volume drop in thefts March 2014 through May 2014 in the USA. Although despite the drop in incidents, the value of goods stolen jumped a whopping 89% per theft. The ‘value-versus incident number imbalance’ meant thieves were getting smarter about the business of intelligent targeting. It seems the selectivity of thieves may be changing at least for the first quarter of 2019.
Thanks to a friend of TJO Cargo Gabrielle Partyka, who is one of the superheroes at Total Distribution Inc. (TDI) of Jacksonville http://www.grimescompanies.com/, I was alerted to a new trend in the USA for the first quarter of 2019. I’m not surprised Gabrielle was one up on me, TDI has a far-flung reach in warehousing and truck brokerage operations, and Gabrielle is right in the middle of it. She sourced the information from the online information source **CCJ in a May 16th, 2019 article.
The new numbers on thefts are a 25% increase in theft and only a 1% increase in value as compared to the same period last year. As usual, California is king on theft with Florida and Texas tied for second place. According to a SensiGuard report CCJ cited, the most often targeted freight (17%) for the first quarter was miscellaneous freight shipments most often headed to big box stores. Then electronics at around 15%, with food, drinks, and garden products all tied for third place and just under 15%.
One possible explanation for the flipped script of theft volume versus theft value may be shippers of higher value goods are sick of being punching bags for thieves and have gotten better at security and tracking. With increased security making the higher value shippers more hardened targets for thieves, the thieves may be turning to theft based on the opportunities rather than calculated targeting. This trend is bad news for FAK (Freight All Kinds) shippers whose shipments have been protected largely by the anonymity of not being high value.
Domestic ground shippers and carriers should take the new trend as a red hot alert to pay close attention to, or increase, the security measures in place to prevent theft. By investing in risk mitigation, we are merely refusing to give money to criminals and choosing to spend some of it on denying the criminals their loot. If we do not deny the criminals easy targets by investing in risk mitigation, we will embolden the criminals to steal more only raising our cost of doing business based on a performance metric we cannot control, the criminal’s greed for more.
If you are a shipper and wish to find out simple ways to reduce the chance of your freight ending up at the flea market or on Craigslist, you can read every article I have ever written or reach out to me on simple steps you can take to make your cargo harder to steal.


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Be one of the first to drive the 2015 Ford F-150
Amanda Bayhi | February 3, 2014
Want to test drive the 2015 F-150? Now is your chance.
Ford has launched its “You Test” campaign, giving fans the opportunity to test the new pickup, our sister site, Hardworking Trucks, reports.
The campaign urges fans to tell Ford how they would test the new truck’s durability, whether it’s with an off-road challenge, a day on the jobsite or any other test.
Ford will select up to five winners to spend a week behind the wheel of a new F-150, and video crews will film the week-long test drive. The company will post the test-drive videos to its YouTube page.
Entries must be received by May 31. Ford will announce winners before September 1.
For more details, or to enter, visit BuiltToughTest.com.
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Kobe Bryant has teamed up with Nike to design a new low-cut basketball sneaker. The sneaker, which is unusual in today’s world of basketball thanks to high-tops which provide more ankle support, weigh a meer 11.6 ounces.
Players who wear the low-cut sneaker will need to tape their ankles to prevent injury. Release for public purchase is scheduled for February.
For more details, check out this Yahoo! Sports feature by AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds.
Hard to believe, but the former teen heart throb Taylor Hanson is all grown up, with a growing brood that now includes a 4th baby. According to People, Taylor’s wife gave birth to Viggo Moriah on Tuesday.
Sony is expected to launch Home later today. Home, which will be available for PS3 users, rivals the formerly popular SecondLife and allows players to create avatars that interact with other virtual characters in cyberspace.
Sony’s Home joins the PS3′s video download functionality which has 15 million subscribers worldwide.
The Daily News is reporting that the New York Yankees have signed CC Sabathia to a 7 year $160 million dollar contract. While the details are still not confirmed, it sounds like Brian Cashman met with CC Sabathia and his wife at their home in San Francisco where they came to an agreement that upped the original 6 year $140 million offer.
Even with today’s economy as it is, there was a common belief within the industry that sports were protected from the economic downturn. Today, we’ve learned that isn’t completely true. According to the New York Times, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has announced that the NFL will cut 150 jobs after the upcoming Super Bowl. Compared to some other recent corporate layoffs 150 may seem like a small number, but it represents nearly 10% of the NFL staff. Job cuts will affect the New York, New Jersey, and LA offices for the NFL.


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T-Mobile USA, the fourth-largest mobile provider in the US, will offer HTC Corp’s (宏達電) newest flagship phone for as little as US$99.99, T-Mobile said in a press release on Monday, in its latest effort to stem customer losses.
T-Mobile, a unit of Germany’s Deutsche Telekom AG, is trying to shift customers from its traditional two-year contract model to new rate plans without phone subsidies.
T-Mobile customers currently have to pay US$99.99 upfront for certain 4G long-term evolution (LTE) devices and US$20 in monthly installments over the following two years, adding up to US$580, the press release said.
These mobile devices, compatible with T-Mobile’s LTE network include the HTC One, the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Note II, the BlackBerry Z10 and Apple’s iPhone 5. The company did not say when the HTC One will be available.
T-Mobile’s move is expected to reduce costs for its customers, since the carrier’s rivals, such as Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Sprint Nextel, usually charge US$200 upfront for an LTE handset such as the iPhone 5, with a two-year contract.
T-Mobile lost 515,000 contract subscribers in the fourth quarter of last year due to a slow start of its 4G LTE strategy, while the company’s prepaid customers continued to grow for the sixth consecutive quarter.
Separately, senior executives from Taiwan’s telecoms operators said that shipments of the HTC One arrived on Tuesday, and that local consumers would be able to get their hands on the new phone by tomorrow.


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|Windows XP Gets Another Reprieve: July 31, 2009|
| 12:57 pm on Oct 9, 2008 (gmt 0)|
Windows XP Gets Another Reprieve: [informationweek.com]July 31, 2009
|Microsoft originally planned to stop distributing Windows XP media to large OEMs on Jan. 31, 2009, but this week said it would move the deadline to July 31 of next year.A Microsoft spokesman claimed in an e-mail that the move is designed to help businesses upgrade to Vista painlessly. "As more customers make the move to Windows Vista, we want to make sure that they are making that transition with confidence and that it is as smooth as possible. Providing downgrade media for a few more months is part of that commitment," the spokesman said. |
| 1:21 pm on Oct 9, 2008 (gmt 0)|
"The fact is, however, that very few large companies are eyeing Vista. A survey released last week by the UK's Corporate IT Forum showed that only 4% of businesses in that country are using Windows Vista on workplace systems, while 35% said they were "not yet interested" in Vista. 58% said they were still using Windows XP, now seven years old. "
Wow, I didn't think sales were that bad.
| 6:54 pm on Oct 9, 2008 (gmt 0)|
I used to work for a company with 15,000-ish computers. Upgrading to XP took years and many, many dollars. There's app testing, upgrades (hardware & software), etc. so if it's working now why break it? I know at some point they'll have to upgrade but XP overall is a great product. I remember that before we made the big switch we were buying new machines with XP and "downgrading" them to Win98.
In fact I have a free upgrade to Vista for my personal laptop but refuse to install it, XP is working just fine.
| 8:04 pm on Oct 9, 2008 (gmt 0)|
In many instances, prior to XP, there were many more problems: BSOD being one of the worst. Anything beyond XP really needs to be a major step up, imho.
| 8:33 pm on Oct 9, 2008 (gmt 0)|
Yes, and Vista aint!


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Tika Sumpter explains why she never really feels too comfortable in her career.
By: Paula Spencer Scott/caring.com via:yahoohealth Of all the food and beverage choices you face every day, what’s calorie-free, virtually cost-free, and, oh yes, essential to keeping you alive? Plain ol’ water. But those aren’t the only reasons to drink it. “Water drives basic body performance,” says Beth Reardon, director of nutrition for Duke Integrative […]


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ATI Technologies tried to take a little wind out of archrival Nvidia Corp.’s sales through a commitment to “Catalyst”, a unified driver program similar to Nvidia’s Detonator program.
ATI’s Catalyst will feature “frequent” driver updates that will support the entire line of Radeon cards, according to ATI, Thornhill, Ontario. In addition, ATI will provide additional updates to its multimedia software and a stability optimizer tool.
The first release of Catalyst includes “SmartGart”, a tool “which will determine and configure optimal system settings for the most stable performance”, according to ATI. The software will also feature a newly designed control panel and a new version of ATI’s multimedia center software. In addition, ATI will provide tools to allow owners of ATI’s “Remote Wonder’ cards to use pre-defined plugins to launch other applications. Finally, ATI will ship HDTV drivers for ATI’s new HDTV component video adapter.
The key, however, will be ATI’s newfound commitment to timely driver updates.
“Our track record over the past six months has shown how dedicated we are to this initiative – and how effectively we are executing on our software strategy,” said Rick Bergman, senior vice president of marketing and general manager of desktop products at ATI. “We are fully committed to maintaining the high level of stability in our entire software offering. Catalyst will raise the bar in the industry in terms of what users expect from their graphics cards.”


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What’s stopping India’s urban population from adding millets to its diet?
Millets are among the healthiest foods available today and can combat a plethora of widespread illnesses. So why aren’t they more popular?
Sedentary lives and unhealthy eating habits have caused the proliferation of lifestyle diseases in India’s urban population. Obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are afflicting millions of people, and the problem is only getting worse. Treating these diseases involves high costs along with long, and sometimes endless, treatment periods. So, what if there was a way to prevent, or at least reduce, the occurrence of these diseases? One that didn’t involve living a monk’s life in the Himalayas? There is a way and it is the introduction of millets into our diets.
Millets offer an exhaustive range of health benefits to consumers. They are nutrient-rich, have a high fibre content, and low glycaemic index — making them ideal for fighting obesity and diabetes. They are also gluten-free, which makes them perfectly safe foods for people suffering from Celiac disease — an illness marked by a severe allergy to wheat that affects several million people across the world. With such positives entailing their consumption, it’s a wonder that millets aren’t more popular in India, especially since they’ve been cultivated in the country for millennia. Why is it, then, that millets are not a core part of our staple diets?
It’s evident that fitness and health are becoming important for today’s urban Indians. The cosmopolitan citizenry is thronging to gyms and cross-fit centres en masse, and shunning junk and fast food in favour of healthier alternatives. But when it comes to food choices, a large majority of these health-conscious people opt for quinoa and oats over millets despite the latter being the healthiest choice of the lot. Talking about why this is so, Vilas Tonapi, Director of Indian Institute of Millets Research, says, that “copying western consumerism is the rule of the day.”
And he’s right, but it would be unfair to chalk down the unpopularity of millets in India to western trends. It is, however, the lack of awareness about the ‘wonder crop’ from which the lack of demand stems.
“I don’t know about millets, much less how healthy they are,” said one health-conscious woman. “There is a lot of information online about how oats and quinoa are good for your health and that’s why I buy them,” she stated.
A lack of awareness is the most significant issue preventing consumers from buying millets. The second is their availability. “I know that millets are healthy. They are foods that my parents and grandparents swore by, after all. But they’re not readily available in the supermarkets where I do my grocery shopping,” said a resident of Whitefield, Bengaluru.
Not only are millets more difficult to find in retail stores, when compared to quinoa and oats, they also tend to be more expensive too. This further dissuades any potential consumers from buying millets or millet-based products.Tackling the stigma against millets
While awareness is the key problem to the popularity of millets in India’s urban cities, an archaic stigma against the grain poses a problem as well. The Green Revolution of the sixties made rice and wheat the food of choice for ‘high society’ while millets — which were earnestly consumed by farmers and manual labourers — gained a perception as ‘poor man’s food’, says Krishna Byre Gowda, Karnataka Agriculture Minister.
But while the ‘poor man’ enjoyed the health benefits of a millet-rich diet, the ‘high society’ has seen its health deteriorating, courtesy of a diet that is both nutritionally-deficient and processed food-rich. People can always change, though, and recent consumer trends would show that India’s urban population is slowly warming up to the idea of consuming millets.
“We have seen an increase in demand for millet products in the past few years,” a spokesperson for 24 Mantra, an organic food producer, retailer and exporter, told YourStory. “It’s not only in India, but in foreign countries too.”
Several other organic foods and millets producers recount the same story. Dhatu Organics, Phalada, Grain Stories, Powerpuffs, Soulfull, and Organic Tattva are some of the companies that have witnessed an increase in millets demand in the past couple of years.
These companies are distributing to several retail stores and online marketplaces and are making use of easy-to-eat packaged products to cater to the consumer generation that is always pressed for time. Soulfull, for example, sells breakfast cereal like ragi flakes and millet muesli in most supermarkets around Bengaluru. Powerpuffs sells millet-based, baked snacks that are a healthy alternative to fried potato chips.The final challenge
Despite an increase in demand, widespread acceptance of millets among the cosmopolitan class of citizens—the group that is most prone to lifestyle diseases—is yet to be seen. After awareness and availability, the final hurdle that needs to be tackled to make this happen is incorporating millets in people’s staple diets. Even those who know about millets and have access to them are clueless about how easily they can be used in their everyday meals.
Most people view millets as some special, niche food that’s meant for occasional consumption. Whereas they can be used in any meal of the day, whether traditional or non-traditional. “Millets are very versatile and can be used to make soups, appetisers, main courses, and desserts,” said Hema Aravind, Chief Dietitian at M.S. Ramaiah Medical College and Hospital. “From dosa, idli, and upma to pizza, ice cream, and pasta, millets can be used in almost any food,” she added.
Millets are neither a poor man’s fare nor are they ‘special foods’. They’re an incredibly healthy option that help combat not only some of the most serious health problems in the country, but their cultivation also helps protect the environment, which has been steadily deteriorating due to climate change and harmful agricultural practices. The public needs to be made aware of the several benefits millets offer, and they need to know how the grains can be used in their daily diets. And this is possible only through extensive marketing and large-scale awareness programmes along the lines of Organics and Millets National Trade Fair.